Every generation has their iconic television shows, and for many on the outer edge of Generation X and those in Generation Y that show was Saved By The Bell.
The story of high school drama in the early ’90s was one of the biggest hits in Saturday morning television history, to this day syndicated all over the world. The show’s success—it lasted just four years, which is amazing, considering how shows about high school today seem to go on forever—parlayed in to “The College Years” and a series of made-for-TV movies. There was also the ill-conceived “New Class” that never felt quite the same. The real Saved by the Bell gave us reached iconic status, from the roots of Good Morning, Miss Bliss to the early hi jinx of Zach Morris and his buddy Mikey to the more mature themes between Zach and Kelly, Slater and Jessie and Screetch and Mr. Belding (they were a couple, yes?)
It’s been nearly 25 years since Saved by the Bell went off the air, and fans of the show have been debating, discussing and dissecting rumors of a reunion show ever since. Those reunion hopes are scuttled with Dustin Diamond currently in a Wisconsin jail, but that’s not stopping the nostalgia train for this show, which appears to be in the form of a pop-up restaurant set to come to Chicago this summer.
According to reports, the pop-up diner will be set in the fashionable Wicker Park neighborhood in Chicago. The exact location is unknown—the beauty and frustration with pop-ups—but a Facebook page says it is coming on June 1st, 2016.
Like the George Costanza-themed bar before it, “Saved By The Max” will feature food and libations named after the sitcom’s characters: There will be A.C. Sliders and Preppy BLTs, the latter of which will presumably be served on white bread. There will also be a costume contest with a cash prize, so you might do well to stock up on the Aquanet and decide just which Kelly Kapowski you wish to embody—will it be Max Waitress Kelly, Shakespeare’s Juliet Kelly, or College Boyfriend-Having Kelly? (Sorry, we recently watched “The Last Dance”.)
Pop-up diners and restaurants have become a much more common thing in the Chicago food scene in the past few years, but something this iconic may have lines for days this time around. It’s worth noting, the joint is being billed as a “parody” and has no affiliation with the show’s producers or NBC. (Which means expect lawsuits. Lots of lawsuits.)
And yet, who wouldn’t want to sit at a booth at The Max or take in a singing show produced by Zach? Karoke and a Max-burger…yes please.
